Members of Gen Alpha, the generation born after 2010, are a bunch of motivated kids. They have a deep passion for what motivates them, which seems to be driven by algorithms as much as the authenticity of brands and products, a panel of experts explained at the Fast Company Innovation Festival last month.
Matt Traub, DKC’s COO, recently conducted research on Gen Alphas and gave them the nickname “the gateway generation” because of how much influence they have on their entire family’s spending. “They are the gate . . . in ideas and understanding about products,” he said.
What Gen Alpha is interested in, however, can depend heavily on social media algorithms.
Brian Bordainick, the founder of Star Face, a trendy pimple-patch solution, said Gen Alphas are the first generation to grow up with a kind of strong and relentless algorithm, which doesn’t stop spamming them with things they like. He explained that the deep love attitude that parents often see in Gen Alphas comes from the way the algorithm drives them “deeper into these worlds,” which reinforces their “confidence” in certain products or ideas.
Gen Alphas don’t just want to scroll and click, though. Adding their voice to the mix is a priority, and brands have learned how important that connection is. It is always present in games like Roblox again Fortnite.
Joe Ferencz, CEO of Gamefam, said the algorithm “rewards engagement” and appears to have a “common calling card, which is engagement and time spent” on apps.
Fiona Simmonds, founder of Pinkie, which makes period pads marketed to 12-and-youngers, agreed. “Creating that engagement is what made some unexpected videos go viral,” he explained. “I think we had one video that had 22 million views, and it was about making a pad out of toilet paper in an emergency if you need one, but it was educational and people started talking about how old they were when they arrived. their times and that kind of thing.”
A winning aura
It’s hard to talk about Gen Alpha without talking about the swag—or “aura,” as they call it, Simmonds said. And according to Ferencz, having what others want is very important to the techy youth and youth.
That “clout,” he explained, is what makes social media and games alike Roblox success, because “social value” is everything to Gen Alphas.
However, members of Gen Alpha are not vapid. They seem to be drawn to products that have some kind of authenticity. Bourdainick said exploring universal truths—like the fact that everyone’s skin breaks out—is a big selling point that Star Face has relied on, even to its popularity.
“We went into a master class that was made up of before and after pictures, and we were like, ‘How do you not make people feel offended by something that’s available all over the world?'” he said.
Gen Alphas are socially conscious, too—they like companies that care about the environment and “do the right thing,” says Traub. But brands that make them feel good about themselves are just as important. For Gen Alphas, social influence, authenticity, and aura can be a winning combination.
Source link
